Just a Tail-Length of Hope
by 12HockeyChick21
Summary: How would things have gone if instead of moving to the elders' den after losing his sight, Longtail became Cinderpelt's apprentice? Follow Longtail in his life as ThunderClan's medicine cat!
1. Alliegance and Prologue

**A.N.: This story begins basically near the end/in between Firestar's Quest and Midnight. I was rereading Firestar's Quest and thinking... Jayfeather's blind. How come Longtail couldn't become a medicine cat? So I hope you enjoy my AU... of what would have happened if things had gone differently. ~12HockeyChick21**

* * *

 **ThunderClan**

Leader: Firestar- ginger tom with a flame colored pelt

Deputy: Graystripe- long-haired gray tom

Medicine Cat(s): Cinderpelt- dark gray she-cat  
 **Apprentice:** Longtail

Warriors:  
Mousefur- small, dusky brown she-cat

Dustpelt- dark brown tabby tom  
 **Apprentice:** Sorrelpaw

Cloudtail- long-haired white tom  
 **Apprentice:** Rainpaw

Brackenfur- long-legged golden brown tabby tom

Thornclaw- golden brown tabby tom  
 **Apprentice:** Sootpaw

Ashfur- pale gray tom with darker flecks and dark blue eyes

Brambleclaw- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Apprentices:

Longtail- pale tabby tom with dark black stripes, blind and training to be medicine cat

Sorrelpaw- tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes

Rainpaw- dark gray tom with blue eyes

Sootpaw- lighter gray tom with amber eyes

Queens and Kits:

Goldenflower- pale ginger she-cat, oldest nursery queen

Ferncloud- pale gray she-cat with darker flecks and green eyes, mother to Dustpelt's kits:  
Spiderkit- long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes  
Shrewkit- small dark brown tom with amber eyes

Brightheart- white she-cat with ginger patches, mother to Cloudtail's kit:  
Whitekit- white she-cat with green eyes

Sandstorm- pale ginger she-cat, mother to Firestar's kits:  
Squirrelkit- dark ginger she-cat with green eyes  
Leafkit- light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes and white paws

Elders:

Frostfur- beautiful white she-cat with blue eyes

Dappletail- once pretty tortoiseshell she-cat, the oldest cat in ThunderClan

Speckletail- pale tabby she-cat

* * *

Longtail awoke to the blackness of his sightlessness. It had only been about about a moon since he'd lost his sight and he sometimes still forgot...

"How are you doing, Longtail?" he heard Cinderpelt's mew. The ThunderClan medicine cat had been caring for him since the accident.

"Alright I guess... As alright as I can be." the tabby replied, licking a paw and drawing it between his ears. He heard Cinderpelt bustling around with her herbs.

"Longtail... I've been thinking about something for a while... something you can do to help the clan without having to be a warrior." her meow was muffled, so Longtail imagined her mouth was full of herbs.

"What is that?" Longtail asked, unable to hide his excitement. He had barely done anything in the moon he was confined to the den.

"How would you feel about becoming my apprentice?" Longtail didn't respond for a moment, unsure of how to respond. He had never seen himself as a medicine cat, but perhaps this was what StarClan wanted him to do...

"An apprentice? Would I have to give up my warrior name?" he finally asked Cinderpelt.

"Oh, no no. Don't worry. You remember my mentor Yellowfang? She had been a warrior before she realized she was meant to be a medicine cat. Her mentor Sagewhisker took Yellowfang as an apprentice, leaving her warrior name." Cinderpelt assured him. Longtail kneaded the ground with his paws in uncertainty.

"I understand that you aren't sure about this. I can talk to Firestar about it when-"

Before Cinderpelt could finish, Longtail heard the rustling of ferns outside the den and his old apprentice Sootpaw's scent hit his nose.

"Cinderpelt, Longtail! Firestar and Sandstorm have returned." he meowed.

"Oh, good. I must talk to him." Longtail heard Cinderpelt leave and he felt some soft moss being lined in his nest.

"I brought you some new moss." Sootpaw purred, removing the old moss.

"Thank you, Sootpaw. How is your training with Thornclaw going?" Longtail asked.

"Good! Thornclaw is a good mentor, but I miss you. How are you feeling?"

Longtail bent back to get an itch at the base of his tail before replying.

"I'm feeling fine. My eyes don't seem to hurt anymore."

"That's good." Sootpaw mewed, still fixing Longtail's nest. Longtail pricked his ears.

"Would you like me to move so you can-"

"No need, Longtail. You're fine. I'm almost done." Sootpaw meowed cheerfully. Longtail was happy his ex apprentice came to see him almost every day. He would have gone stir crazy without any visitors for a moon, even if Cinderpelt was kind to him.

"Are you hungry?" Sootpaw asked him. Longtail shook his head.

"No, thank you, Sootpaw."

"Longtail!" he heard Firestar meow. He scented the leader and Cinderpelt coming into the den.

"Greeting, Firestar. Glad to have you back." Longtail dipped his head.

"Cinderpelt has shared a brilliant idea with me. I would have just offered for you to move into the elders' den... but would you rather train as a medicine cat?" Longtail felt Firestar's tail brush his shoulder comfortingly and his leader's meow told him that he'd be supportive of him no matter what the tabby chose. He'd rather not join the elders so soon. Longtail took a breath and forced a smile.

"I will train with Cinderpelt." he meowed.

"Very well. Come now." Firestar nosed him to his paws and Cinderpelt led him out of the den.

"You'll get to a point where you will be able to sense the ground and all the world with your paws. You won't need someone to lead you around forever." Cinderpelt

murmured into his ear. Longtail nodded to her gratefully. He sat down beside her, imagining himself underneath the Highrock. He heard Firestar's paws click on the stone as he jumped up.

"Cats of ThunderClan! Everyone old enough to catch their own prey please come to this clan meeting!"

Longtail could hear the rustling of the surrounding dens and could feel the vibrations of their paws on the ground as they gathered.

"Sandstorm and I have returned... and now I must announce something. Longtail! Cinderpelt!" Firestar meowed. Longtail felt Cinderpelt's nose on his flank and the two made their way up the Highrock.

"Longtail has decided he will train under Cinderpelt's teaching to become the clan's next medicine cat!" Firestar called. Cinderpelt pressed his nose against Longtail's, so Longtail straightened himself up a bit, his fur warming with embarrassment just when he had been made an apprentice the first time. He heard the murmurs of his clan mates, but then they seemed understanding and supportive.

"Longtail, Longtail!" he heard them chanting for him. He smiled.

"Come... you have much to learn." Cinderpelt meowed, and they returned to her den... now their den.

* * *

 **A.N.: Hope you enjoyed it! If you find this interesting, let me know by leaving a review! Thanks for reading! ~12HockeyChick21**


	2. Chapter 1

Almost three moons had gone by since Firestar's return and since Longtail begun training with Cinderpelt.

"So tell me, which of these are used to ease bee sting swelling?" Cinderpelt was asking him. Longtail bent down to sniff the herbs. One was coltsfoot, the next was blackberry leaves, and the final was watermint. Longtail pawed at the middle pile.

"Blackberry leaves." he purred confidently, head held high. He heard a purr rumble in Cinderpelt's throat.

"Well done! You're learning quickly." Suddenly, the sound of the ferns outside the den made Longtail's ears prick.

"Hello Cinderpelt, Longtail. Brightheart asked me to come ask you to take a look at Whitekit. It seems she got a thorn stuck in her paw while exploring camp." The voice of Cloudtail came and Longtail felt a rush of air as Cinderpelt stood beside him.

"Alright, we will be right there." she replied. Longtail stood and followed his mentor out. She had been right, slowly, Longtail was getting used to using his remaining senses, all of which had gained since the loss of his sight. Longtail padded behind Cinderpelt, across the camp clearing and he heard the hustle and bustle. As his ears picked up on bits and pieces, he just pictured it all happening on the inside of his eyelids.

"And so I tell Lionheart: 'That's no mouse! That's my tail! Oh he was a riot!" he heard Speckletail laugh, followed by Dappletail and Frostfur.

"Careful now Rainpaw! Don't get mud on the freshkill! Carry it up higher!" he heard Cloudtail mew as the three must have passed his apprentice.

"Can you believe the size of that squirrel?! It's tail is almost bigger than your face!" Ashfur's joking cackle came as did a _hmmph_ from Brambleclaw. The clan was alive and well.

When Longtail entered the nursery, he was hit with the warm, welcoming scent. He breathed in a content sigh, his mind wandering. What would it have been like to actually have a mate? Truthfully, he was never interested before becoming a medicine cat apprentice, so it didn't quite matter.

"Thank you for coming Cinderpelt. The thorn looks to be in pretty deep." Brightheart's worried mew shook Longtail from his thoughts.

"Let me take a look." he heard his mentor meow. There were a few moments of silence.

"Longtail, come here." his mentor mewed. Longtail scooted closer carefully and sat at attention.

"What do we do with a thorn?"

"Grab it at the base and pull, then lick the paw pad until it stops bleeding." he meowed.

"Very good. Why don't you give it a try?" Cinderpelt asked. Longtail gave a nod and bent down to where he sensed Whitekit's little paw.

"Hello there, Whitekit. I'll get that thorn out, just don't move now." he mewed softly.

"Okay." Whitekit replied. The tabby nosed her paw until he felt the thorn, then grasped it between his teeth. He gave it a quick tug and Whitekit let out a little squeak.

"Good. Now just give it a few licks." Longtail instructed the kit after spitting the thorn out on a leaf.

"Thank you, Longtail!" Whitekit mewed happily.

"No problem, now just be careful where your paws tread." he chuckled. Just then there was a gasp from a nearby nest.

"Sandstorm, are you alright?" Cinderpelt asked. The leader's mate had moved into the nursery not soon after their return.

"The kits! I think they're coming!" Longtail heard the she-cat's meow was lined with pain and his paws prickled with excitement mixed with a bit of fear. This would be his first kitting.

"Oh! Come Whitekit, let's go play with your father." he heard Brightheart meow. Cinderpelt's tail touched his shoulder.

"I'll go grab some herbs. You keep an eye on Sandstorm for a moment. This will be a great learning experience for you!" his mentor meowed. And soon he sensed he was alone with the ginger she-cat.

"S-so how's the training going, Longtail?" Sandstorm asked. Longtail could tell she was trying hard to get her mind off the pain.

"Very well, thank you." he mewed, searching carefully and placing a paw on Sandstorm's flank. He felt her muscles ripple strongly beneath his paws and almost jumped back in surprise.

"Alright, Longtail. Remember what I've told you?" Cinderpelt's scent came right before her mew. Longtail nodded.

"When the kit comes, nip the sac and lick it backwards to stimulate breathing." he answered as he smelled borage.

"Here, eat this, Sandstorm." Cinderpelt instructed. "And take this stick to bite down on."

Longtail slowly moves his paw along the she-cat's belly.

"I think it will be two kits." he meowed to her and Cinderpelt.

"Good, the first one's coming. Take care of that one."

Longtail did as he was told and nosed the wet bundle of fur.

"It's a she-kit." he announced after a few rough licks.

"Place it in her belly curve." Cinderpelt told him. Longtail nodded and did so. Cinderpelt must have gotten the other kit, because she soon announced it was another she-kit.

"Very good, Sandstorm. You should rest now, but we'll inform Firestar and I'm sure he'll come to see you soon." Cinderpelt meowed.

"Thank you." came Sandstorm's quiet but pleased voice. Longtail imagined the pale ginger she-cat staring proudly down at her kits and he sighed inwardly. If only he could see what they looked like.

"Come Longtail." Cinderpelt meowed. The two left the nursery.

"Head back to our den. I must go speak with Firestar."

Longtail nodded and padded slowly across the clearing, alone. Once inside, the tabby flopped down into his bed tiredly. He took a moment to think of all he took for granted when he still possessed his sight. The beauty of the trees. The faces of all his clan mates. The look of a freshly caught squirrel. He sighed again and curled up, tucking his nose into his tail. Soon he gave into a well deserved sleep.

* * *

Longtail opened his eyes to a starry clearing. Immediately his heart leapt. He could see again! He saw a small dusky brown she-cat approaching and for only a moment thought it was Mousefur before realizing it was his mother Robinwing.

"Mother!" he ran forward to nuzzle her in greeting.

"Hello, my dear Longtail."

"What are you doing here?" he meowed, figuring out that he must be dreaming. His heart broke a bit.

"I wanted to tell you not to fret about the loss of your sight. There was nothing you could have done. It was meant to be... But I have been watching you and I have to say I am very proud of how far you have come in these couple moons."

Longtail purred at his mother's praise.

"Thank you, mother." Robinwing nodded.

"With your decision, you have changed the course of many things."

"Like what?" Longtail asked, suddenly nervous. Robinwing gave him a comforting lick between his ears.

"Oh nothing to be worried about I'm sure. But I don't know for sure. I just sense the positives outweight the negatives."

Longtail breathed in his mother's scent and felt as if he was a kit back in the nursery with her.

"One more thing, Longtail." she meowed, sounding like a bit of a warning. "As a medicine cat, you must be more compassionate and kind. You've been quite impoving on your attitude though."

Longtail nodded. His mother was right. He used to be a bit harsh and sharp-tongued to many cats.

"I understand. Thank you."

"Now rest. There will be much to do tomorrow." Robinwing disappeared slowly and Longtail laid down and closed his eyes, welcoming the darkness.


	3. Chapter 2

**A.N.: To the reviewer that gave me Silver, thank you. But I will not make her Longtail's love interest simply because Longtail never took a mate in the actual books and he is a medicine cat in this story, so it would go against the storyline I had to give him a mate. But if you'd like for her to have a mate, you can pick a tom from the clan. May I suggest Rainpaw or Sootpaw, or maybe Brambleclaw. Just let me know! Now onto the story.**

* * *

Longtail woke up to the sounds of commotion.

"Hurry, get Cinderpelt and Longtail!"

"Oh StarClan, what happened!"

"She was struck by a monster on the Thunderpath!"

"Longtail, come quickly." he heard Cinderpelt mew beside him. Longtail heaved himself to his paws and hurriedly followed his mentor. As soon as he emerged from the den he was hit by the scent of blood.

"Sorrelpaw has been hit by a monster. Her shoulder is all messed up!" Longtail heard Rainpaw's mew.

"She was chasing after prey and didn't look!" Dustpelt's meow. Longtail threw a blind glance at Cinderpelt, expecting to feel many emotions coming off her pelt. The she-cat had once had her very own run in with a monster on the Thunderpath thanks to ThunderClan's old deputy Tigerstar. Longtail shook the evil face of his ex friend from his mind and realized the only feelings he sensed coming from Cinderpelt was determination.

"Dustpelt, bring her into our den, carefully."

Longtail followed back to the den.

"What can I do, Cinderpelt?" he meowed.

"I must work with her, just please go search for some daisy leaves and perhaps some willow bark. Oh and some bind weed and sticks. But take a warrior with you." Cinderpelt meowed, calm but firm. Longtail nodded curtly and left. As soon as he was out of the den he lashed his tail angrily. He understood if Cinderpelt needed herbs, but he didn't need a warrior escort! He was a warrior once! He shook himself out. No, he had to do what his mentor told him.

"Hey, Longtail... you okay?" Brambleclaw's meow made him focus back.

"Yes, I just need to go look for some herbs to help with Sorrelpaw, but I need a warrior to come with me. Would you like to come?"

"Sure... what are we looking for?"

Longtail repeated the list Cinderpelt had given him and Brambleclaw nodded.

"Willow bark is near the twolegplace right?" Brambleclaw asked. Longtail nodded and started for the exit.

"Yes, and we can get the other things on the way."

* * *

The two toms were approaching the twolegplace, different herbs in their mouths.

"There's a willow tree. You want me to hold that other stuff while you strip the bark?" Brambleclaw meowed. Longtail carefully placed his bundle down and padded forward. He slid his claws out and stretched himself up the tree, ripping some bark off.

"We should hurry, we have to get this all back for Sorrelpaw." Longtail replied. But suddenly there was a yowl and a heavy weight landed on Longtail. He hissed and wrestled with this unknown cat. By the sounds of things, Brambleclaw had also been jumped.

"Wait, wait!" came a feminine meow. The cat attacking Longtail let up.

"What?" he growled.

"These are those clan cats I was telling you about!" came the same female voice.

"Yeah, what's it to you?" Brambleclaw spat.

"You're gathering herbs aren't you? You must be the healer. I'm Silver and this is my brother, Tornado."

The tom on Longtail jumped off of him, the familiar jingle meeting Longtail's ears.

"Kittypets." Longtail growled.

"Oh, you mean living with the upwalkers? Me? No, just Tornado. I live out in the woods by myself now. I just visit him every once in a while. What's wrong with the cat? What do you need the bark for?" the she-cat asked.

"One of our cats got struck by a monster and we need to head back now." Longtail practically danced on his paws with impatience. He didn't have time for a chat with a kitty pet and a rogue.

"Hit by a monster?! That's how our mother died... Please let me help. I don't know if there's much I can do, but please." the she-cat begged.

"I don't have time for this." Longtail groaned.

"We can take her back and I can talk to Firestar... he wouldn't mind, would he?"

"Oh, yes... more outsiders." Longtail grumbled quietly, hoping none of them heard him. He didn't mind Firestar as much, but they couldn't continue to let outsiders in...

"Whatever, let's just hurry." Longtail hissed, picking up the bark in his mouth.

"See you, Tornado." Silver's meow was muffled, so Longtail assumed she had picked up the bundle of herbs he dropped. The group then hurried back to camp.

* * *

"I'll take Silver to Firestar..." Brambleclaw meowed quietly after they'd dropped off the herbs. Longtail could sense that Brambleclaw was starting to regret his decision.

 _Too late now. You've brought her into camp._

"How is she?" Longtail asked Cinderpelt once they were alone with what Longtail could tell was a sleeping Sorrelpaw.

"I gave her some poppyseeds to knock her out and popped her shoulder back into place. Now I just need some of the willow bark and daisy leaf for this poultrice I'm making with marigold as well." Cinderpelt explained. Longtail made sure to take every last drop of information in, nodding continuously as she spoke.

"Chew up some of that daisy leaves and willow bark and combine it with the marigold pulp I have here. I must ready the bind weed and sticks to keep her shoulder and leg set in place so she doesn't risk wrenching it again."

Longtail felt air blast his face as Cinderpelt bustled past him when he bent his head down to chew the herbs.

"She will be okay though... right?"

"Of course, nothing life threatening... why do you ask, Longtail?" he could feel Cinderpelt's gaze piercing his pelt so he drew in a breath.

"Well it's just... your injury wasn't... life threatening, but you couldn't continue training to be a warrior... what if she-"

Cinderpelt cut him off.

"I will do everything I can to make sure that she will be able to resume training."

Longtail nodded. But still his mind wandered as he continued to make the poultrice. What if Cinderpelt couldn't repair Sorrelpaw's shoulder, no matter how much she tried? Cinderpelt was a great medicine cat, but not even the best could fix everything... She hadn't ave been able to fix Longtail's sight. And the clans did not have more than two medicine cats at a time, so what would happen to Sorrelpaw if they couldn't fix her? Would she be confined to the elders' den like Longtail almost was?

* * *

 **A.N.: Hey guys, thanks for reading. Quick thing if you're interested. I'm planning on writing a Warriors story set years and years after the Great Battle. I need your OCs that are the kids/ kids of the kids of the ThunderClan cats you know and love. For example, my cat will be one called Honeywillow and she is the kit of Birchfall and Whitewing from a later litter after Dovewing and Ivypool. So if you'd like to see some of your cats in a story PM ME PLEASE since the reviews are acting strange. And make sure to say who they are related to and how. THANKS! ~12HockeyChick21**


	4. Chapter 3

A moon had passed and Sorrelpaw was still in the medicine cat den with Longtail and Cinderpelt. She was beginning to get restless and stir crazy.

"When am I going to get to go outside?!" Sorrelpaw complained. Longtail heard her shuffling in her nest so he was sure she was trying to get up yet again, even after the countless times Cinderpelt had told her not to move about. Longtail was slowly starting to be able to piece together all that was happening around him by scent, sound, and sensing everything, putting together an image in his mind.

"I've told you a hundred times, Sorrelpaw. You are not ready to walk yet." Cinderpelt ordered. Longtail could tell she was exhausted.

"Cinderpelt, why don't you do take a walk? I can handle things here for a bit." he meowed, padding up to his mentor and placing his tail on her shoulder. He felt her sigh and stand.

"Thank you, Longtail. Just... keep an eye on her." she whispered.

"Is that supposed to be a joke?" he teased, waving his tail in front of his unseeing eyes. He heard Cinderpelt and Sorrelpaw both laugh.

"Sorry, I'll send one of the apprentices to get you both fresh kill." his mentor mewed and was gone. Longtail turned back to where he had been sorting herbs, pushing the dry and useless herbs to the side.

"So... what do all of those do?" he heard Sorrelpaw ask. Longtail twitched his ears.

 _I guess it wouldn't hurt to teach her a few things... just in case._ He thought to himself. So he moved his work a little closer to the apprentice's nest and began showing her some herbs.

"This here is borage. We give it to queens after they've given birth so they will produce more milk. But it is also used to reduce fever. And these are juniper berries, they soothe bellyaches. And this is yarrow, we use it to make cats vomit if they have swallowed something poisonous."

"Yeah, I remember that... Cinderpelt used that on me when... Darkstripe fed me deathberries..." Longtail sensed a shiver pass through the young she-cat and he couldn't help but feel the same. Darkstripe had once been his friend, but had been exiled after doing that to Sorrelpaw after she had seen him speaking to some Shadow Clan warriors as a kit.

"Yes." he meowed, then showed her willow bark. "This is willow bark, which as you know eases pain."

"Yeah, you found it near the twolegplace the day I was hurt. It's where you met that she-cat." Sorrelpaw's bedding crunched as Longtail imagined her shifting to get a little more comfortable.

His mind slipped away to when he had met that loner. So much had changed in the moon since then. Firestar had agreed to take on Silver as a Thunder Clan cat, mentoring her himself. And from what Longtail heard, Silverpaw was a very intelligent, strong cat. Sorrelpaw's brothers, Sootpaw and Rainpaw had been made warriors, Sootfur and Rainwhisker. Longtail was very proud of his ex-apprentice and had only wished he'd been the one to tell Firestar he was ready. Ferncloud and Dustpelt's kits, Spiderkit and Shrewkit had been apprenticed, Spiderpaw to Mousefur, and Shrewpaw to Thornclaw. And Brightheart and Cloudtail's daughter Whitekit as well, became Whitepaw, mentored by Brackenfur.

"Do you think I'll ever become a warrior, Longtail?" Sorrelpaw's saddened mew broke him from his thoughts.

"Hm...? Oh... you must not ever lose hope, Sorrelpaw. When I lost my sight, I still found a place I was useful, same with Cinderpelt when she got hit by that monster."

"But... there's no room for me to become medicine cat apprentice because you're here. And I don't want to be medicine cat anyway." Sorrelpaw sighed. Longtail placed his tail on her side comfortingly.

"And you won't have to. I'll make sure to try my hardest to see you become a warrior like your brothers." Longtail knew not to promise her he could, but he knew he could promise he would try. Cinderpelt was teaching him well.

"Thank you, Longtail..."

"Hey guys! We brought you some prey." Spiderpaw, Whitepaw, and Silverpaw's scents washed over Longtail as he heard Silverpaw meow.

"Thank you very much." Longtail dipped his head as he sensed Whitepaw drop a mouse at his paws. Spiderpaw must have given prey to Sorrelpaw because Longtail heard a tail swishing near his face.

"Rainwhisker and Sootfur wanted me to tell you they said hello and hope you're doing better." Spiderpaw meowed.

"They would have come themselves, but they had to go on border patrol." Whitepaw added.

"Oh... thanks." Longtail could feel the disappointment wafting off of the older apprentice. He was sure she wished to be out with her brothers too.

"Anyways, we should get going, Mousefur and Brackenfur promised to teach us some fighting techniques." Spiderpaw mewed excitedly.

"See you later, Sorrelpaw!" Whitepaw called, and her and Spiderpaw's scents thinned. Silverpaw's though, did not. Longtail felt embarrassment coming from the she-cat.

"What is it, Silverpaw?" Longtail asked. "Aren't you going to train too?"

"Oh... well. Firestar found out I left camp without permission and he told me as a punishment I had to check the elders for ticks. He said you could give me some mouse bile...?" She mewed. Longtail nodded and turned to grab the foul smelling moss ball with a stick, making sure to not ask her any questions as to why she'd leave camp. Surely Firestar was teaching her the proper ways of the warrior code.

"You're lucky to be alive. You and Cinderpelt." Longtail heard Silverpaw mew to Sorrelpaw.

"What do you mean?" Sorrelpaw asked.

"Well... I lost my mother to a monster. She was struck and killed instantly. But you and Cinderpelt... you two are alive. You guys get second chances." Longtail could hear the numb sorrow in Silverpaw's voice. He remembered her saying that to him the day they met.  
Sorrelpaw was silent, so Longtail handed Silverpaw the stick.

"Here you go. Use the stick to carry it. Don't swallow any and make sure to go wash your paws afterwards." he instructed.

"Alright, thanks Longtail." her meow was muffled, then she was gone. Longtail sat in silence for a second, then began to eat his mouse. He could tell Sorrelpaw was deep in thought.

"She's right you know. You're lucky." When Sorrelpaw didn't answer, he continued. "You'll be okay. No matter what happens, just keep telling yourself that. You're alive. You have a purpose."

 _And so do I..._


End file.
